FAA Orders Inspection, Replacement of 737NG Engine Parts
A deadly engine failure prompted the company to subject its airworthiness directive addressing the engine’s unsafe situation.
By Caleb Revill
The FAA has issued a brand new airworthiness directive (AD) to deal with the unsafe situation of CFM56-7B engines on a number of several types of Boeing plane.
The AD applies to Boeing 737-600, -700, -700C, -800, -900 and -900ER sequence airplanes. It was adopted after two engine fan blade-out occasions brought about the separation of engine inlet cowl and fan cowl elements from airplanes.
“In a single occasion, fan cowl elements broken the fuselage, which brought about lack of pressurization and subsequent emergency descent,” the AD said.
One passenger was killed in that particular incident throughout a 2018 Southwest flight from New York to Dallas.
Per the AD, operators are required to interchange specified inlet cowl aft bulkhead fasteners for sure airplanes. Different airplanes might want to have their inlet cowl aft bulkhead fastener inspected and changed if rivets are discovered.
Moreover, all airplane fashions addressed will want their crushable spacers – used to connect the inlet cowl to the engine fan case – changed. Putting in a serviceable inlet cowl can be permitted.
“The FAA is issuing this AD to deal with inlet cowls that aren’t strengthened, which might, within the occasion of an FBO incidence, depart the airplane probably damaging the airframe construction or hanging the fuselage and home windows,” the AD said. “The unsafe situation, if not addressed, might end in lack of management of the airplane, and a hazard to window-seated passengers aft of the wing.”
“As well as, the unsafe situation might end in considerably elevated drag of the airplane, which, throughout an prolonged operations (ETOPS) flight, might result in gas hunger and a pressured off-airplane touchdown,” the AD continued.
The FAA estimated that this AD impacts 1,979 airplanes registered within the U.S. and will value operators as much as $18 million to conduct inspections and substitute fasteners. Crushable spacer replacements are estimated to value U.S. operators $32 million.
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